1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a method of handling planar articles, such as diapers, in particular for transporting the same and for feeding them to a packaging machine, wherein the articles, in particular diapers, coming individually one after the other from a production machine or a store, are combined into groups, in particular diaper groups, in the region of a grouping arrangement and these groups are fed to the packaging machine. The invention also relates to an apparatus for implementing the method.
2. Prior Art
Diapers are packaged as preferably folded, flat articles of in particular approximately rectangular or square shape. A respective diaper group made up of a number of abutting diapers forms the contents of a (bag) pack.
It is known to combine diaper groups by means of a compartmentalized belt (U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,291). The diapers are fed one after the other to the compartmentalized belt and are accommodated in interspaces formed between crosspieces of the compartmentalized belt. A number of diapers located one beside the other in the compartmentalized belt are pushed out, transversely to the orientation of the compartmentalized belt, by a pusher and set down as a diaper group on a platform. The latter can be moved upward and transfers the diaper group to a group conveyor which is arranged above the compartmentalized belt and transports the diaper groups one after the other to a packaging machine. This known apparatus has limited output capacity.